I am constantly having nightmares. I wake up sweating and many times am delirious. The nightmares are all about spiders (very scared of them). I often...

Question

The nightmares are all about spiders (very scared of them). I often end up jumping out of the bed and putting the light on, and it takes me 10 minutes just to calm down.

When I wake up, I sometimes seem to continue seeing my nightmares for a few seconds, even though I know I am awake. It subsides quickly when I put the light on and calm down.

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

Can you suggest anything to help me?

Answer

I'm beginning to wonder if the hot weather might have something to do with it.

Maybe I'm just being a bit fanciful, but it might be worth your while making sure that you have a pint mug of water or squash by your bed to keep up your fluid intake at night, and also to make sure that you've got windows open so that you're not sleeping in an oppressively stuffy atmosphere.

MOST POPULAR

Now, you say your dreams are about spiders – and that you find spiders frightening in your wakeful hours too. So I suggest you get some help with this phobia, because once it no longer terrifies you, the dreams will stop.

You can contact Anxiety UK and see what they can suggest. They are a very helpful organisation.

You can also tackle this phobia in one-to-one therapy. There are two main types of therapy that could help:

Hypnosis. An experienced hypnotherapist can help you not only deal with your phobia but also with your bad dreams. He or she should be able to help you re-programme your dreams so that they have different and less horrific story lines. For a therapist near you contact the National Council for Hypnotherapy.

The materials in this web site are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor. The web site does not have answers to all problems. Answers to specific problems may not apply to everyone. If you notice medical symptoms or feel ill, you should consult your doctor - for further information see our Terms and conditions.